Key-ring.



1 Patented Dec. I6, I902. J. L. SUMMER.

KEY mus.

Application filed June 23, 1902.;

(No Model.)

WITNESSES 4 INVENTOR: $7 mimmlmuefimfimmwm, BY I ATTORNEYS THE nonms wzrzns c0. rnorourum. WASHINGTON, u. c

' UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE 1 JOHN L. SOlWlMER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

KEY-RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,892, dated December 16, 1902.

Application filed June 23,1902. Serial No. 112,754. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. SOMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Rings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying draw ings,and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide a simple, cheap, effective, and durable keyring which will be better adapted for service as an advertising medium;'and the invention consists in the improved key-ring and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures,Figures 1 and 2 are plans of the improved key-ring, showing the same from opposite. sides; and Figs. 3 and 4 are edge views showing the free ends closed and open, respectively. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail plan showing the meeting ends in closed relation.

In said drawings, ct indicates the body of the key-ring, which is of fiat resilient metal, such as sheet-steel, and presents in plan an approximately annular surface of considerable area on which may be stamped business advertisements or inscriptions of any desirable kind or variety. The annular resilient metal being of considerable breadth, the free ends of the ring formed by cutting the ring transversely at one end cannot spring laterally away one part from the other. Beingof but little depth or thickness, one end of the ring may-be easily raised up from the other.

The ring is preferably stamped first out of a large sheet in slightly-oval form, the ring being cut at one side at the same time, the endsabutting. Afterward said ringissubjected at its ends to lateral pressure, so that the ring at said ends is bent inward to a true circle, said ends being made to overlap a quarter-inch, more or less. The abutting edge of the enda' is formed on one of the radii of the circle of the ring. The opposite end a is cut in from its extreme edge, preferably forming three tongues 19 b c, of which the center tongue 0 is turned upward or away from the plane of the ring and-curled downward toward the face of said ring, as shown in Fig. 3. The tongues Z) Z) are bent downward, as at d, to lie below the plane of the ring to form a seat for the end a. It will be noticed uponexamination of Figs. 3, 4, and 5 that the forward rounding of the catching-tongue 0 projects normally over the extremity of the end a and that a recess e is formed with the tongues 19 b, as viewed in side elevation, into which said end a may enter and be caught. By applying pressure in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the ring the end a may be detached from the end a and by pressing the ends together by thumb and finger in the same direction the ends may be closed or locked. Thus the keys may be entered and locked in the ring or removed therefrom'with the greatest convenience and ease.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. The improved key-ringcomprisingafiat, annular piece of resilient metal having overlapping ends, one end of which is provided with an integral seat and a curled and intogral catching-tongue for the reception of the other end, substantially as set forth.

2. The improved key-ring, comprising an annular, resilient piece of metal, open at one side, the ends of which, at the opening, constautlyoverlap and open laterally away from one another, still maintaining their overlapping relation, one of said ends being provided with an integral seat and a catch for thereception of the other end when said ends are pressed together, substantially as set forth.

3. Theimproved key-ring comprisingafiat, resilient piece cut at one side to form ends, one of which overlaps the other, one underlying end being cut in from its extremity to form three tongues, the central tongue being turned upward to form a catch and the outer tongues being bent downward and into a plane parallel with the plane of the body of the p ring to form a seat, a recess being formed bemay enter under pressure, substantially as tween the central and outer tongues into set forth.

which the upper end may be forced into catch- In testimony that I claim the foregoing I ing or locking relation. have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of 5 4. The improved key-ring, comprising a June, 1902.

piece of metalcutat one side and having overlapping ends, one of said ends being provided with an integral seat and an integral catch, Witnesses: the catch curling away from the seat and I CHARLES H. PELL,

I0 forming a recess into which the other endl O. B. PITNEY.

JOHN L. SOMMER. 

